molecular systematics

(noun)

molecular phylogenetics is the analysis of hereditary molecular differences, mainly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships

Related Terms

Examples of molecular systematics in the following topics:

  • Evolution of Viruses

    • The emerging field called virus molecular systematics attempts to do just that through comparisons of sequenced genetic material.

  • Distinguishing between Similar Traits

    • With the advancement of DNA technology, the area of molecular systematics, which describes the use of information on the molecular level including DNA analysis, has blossomed.
    • Ultimately, the coupled use of both morphologic and molecular information is more effective in determining phylogeny.

  • The Diversity of Life

    • The organizational scheme was based mainly on physical features, as opposed to physiology, biochemistry, or molecular biology, all of which are used by modern systematics.
    • Thus, to examine differences at this molecular level provides a more accurate depiction of the diversity which exists.

  • Molecular Analyses and Modern Phylogenetic Trees

    • The process of establishing relationships between organisms is increasingly becoming more accurate due to advances in molecular analysis.
    • Previously, phylogenetic trees were constructed based on homologous and analogous morphology; however, with the advances in molecular biology, construction of phylogenetic trees is increasingly performed using data derived from molecular analyses.
    • Many evolutionary relationships in the modern tree have only recently been determined due to molecular evidence.
    • Molecular data have also shed light on some differences within the lophotrochozoan group.
    • Distinguish between morphological and molecular data in creating phylogenetic trees of animals

  • Constructing an Animal Phylogenetic Tree

    • Phylogenetic systematics informs the construction of phylogenetic trees based on shared characters.
    • The ability of molecular trees to encompass both short and long periods of time is hinged on the ability of genes to evolve at different rates, even in the same evolutionary lineage.

  • Molecular and Cellular Cloning

    • Molecular cloning reproduces the desired regions or fragments of a genome, enabling the manipulation and study of genes.
    • Long before attempts were made to clone an entire organism, researchers learned how to reproduce desired regions or fragments of the genome, a process that is referred to as molecular cloning.
    • Plasmids have been repurposed and engineered as vectors for molecular cloning and the large-scale production of important reagents such as insulin and human growth hormone.
    • This diagram shows the steps involved in molecular cloning, where regions or fragments of a genome are reproduced to allow the study or manipulation of genes and their protein products.

  • History of DNA Research

    • The birth of molecular research is closely interconnected with the discovery, history, and study of DNA.
    • Molecular biology attempts to explain the phenomena of life starting from the macromolecular properties that generate them.
    • One definition of the scope of molecular biology therefore is to characterize the structure, function, and relationships between these two types of macromolecules.
    • As such, the study of DNA is a central part of molecular biology.
    • These findings represent the birth of molecular biology.

  • Measuring Biodiversity

    • The technologies of molecular genetics, data processing, and data storage are maturing to the point where cataloging the planet's species in an accessible way is close to feasible.
    • DNA barcoding is one molecular genetic method, which takes advantage of the rapid evolution in a mitochondrial gene present in eukaryotes, to identify species using the sequence of portions of the gene.
    • It differs from molecular phylogeny in that the main goal is not to determine patterns of relationship, but to identify an unknown sample in terms of a preexisting classification.
    • Rapid, mass-sequencing machines make the molecular genetics portion of the work relatively inexpensive and quick.

  • Branches and Subdisciplines of Biology

    • For instance, molecular biology and biochemistry study biological processes at the molecular and chemical level, respectively, including interactions among molecules such as DNA, RNA, and proteins, as well as the way they are regulated.
    • Because of its interdisciplinary nature, this subdiscipline focuses on different functions of the nervous system using molecular, cellular, developmental, medical, and computational approaches.
    • Excitingly, it is the cradle of emerging sciences such as the biology of brain activity, genetic engineering of custom organisms, and the biology of evolution that uses the laboratory tools of molecular biology to retrace the earliest stages of life on earth.

  • Genetic Engineering

    • In genetic engineering, an organism's genotype is altered using recombinant DNA, created by molecular cloning, to modify an organism's DNA.
    • The addition of foreign DNA in the form of recombinant DNA vectors generated by molecular cloning is the most common method of genetic engineering.